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Locals attend President's visit to Council Bluffs

Staff Writer

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

BROKEN BOW, NE

Don Cantrell of Merna and Adrienne Walz of Broken Bow were two of the many Nebraskans who attended the President’s visit to Council Bluffs Tuesday, Oct 9, 2018. Trump was in Iowa to talk about using e15 gasoline year round, that is, fuel that is 15 percent ethanol.

Cantrell said the e15 announcement is good however, the impact for corn producers might not be felt right away.

“Ethanol plants are running at 100 percent capacity and exports are really high,” he said. “We won’t be able to produce more until there is new construction or updating of current facilities…It’s good new for down the road.”

“Ethanol is very important to people of this area,” Walz said and added Trump “wants to help. He’s going to stand up for our country.”

She believes Trump wants to take care of the United States. “Regardless of his talk, he has the interest of our country at heart.”

She said she was seated pretty close and was able to take some good photos with her phone.

The visit was an opportunity for Nebraskans to let their presence be known. Whenever Trump mentioned the state, Nebraskans would cheer. It led to the president asking for cheers from Iowa and then Nebraska. For Nebraska “the crowd erupted,” Cantrell said. “They started chanting ‘Go Big Red!’”

At one point Trump turned to Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and asked “What did you do, Pete? Bring half the state with you?”

Cantrell said he thought the Iowa/Nebraska crowd was pretty evenly split 50/50. Walz said she thought Nebraskans made up 2/3 of those in attendance.

Cantrell met Trump a few years ago when their paths crossed in a hotel lobby. Trump was on the campaign trail and Cantrell was on vacation. Cantrell said he called “Make America great again!”

“He came over and shook my hand and said ‘I sure will.’” Cantrell said. Later, when the two happened to be in the hotel lobby again, Trump saw Cantrell and said “You are back already!”

“He’s charismatic,” Cantrell said.

Cantrell said it was a lot of fun being at the Presidential visit this week. “It was the biggest pep rally I’ve ever been to!” he said.

Both Cantrell and Walz used the same words to describe Trump: “What you see is what you get.”